Cover letter
How to Address a Cover Letter, With or Without a Name
Address a cover letter to the hiring manager by full name, as in "Dear Jordan Lee,". If you can't find a name, use the team or the role, as in "Dear Marketing Hiring Manager,". Avoid "To Whom It May Concern" and guessing someone's title or gender.
Key takeaways
- The best cover letter greeting is the hiring manager's full name, as in "Dear Jordan Lee,", which avoids guessing a title.
- When no name is available, "Dear [Team] Hiring Manager," is clear, polite and specific to the job.
- "To Whom It May Concern" and "Dear Sir or Madam" read as dated and generic on a cover letter.
- The hiring manager's name is often findable in a few minutes from the posting, the company's LinkedIn page or the team page on its website.
- A cover letter greeting ends with a comma or colon, and the first paragraph starts on the next line.
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How do you address a cover letter?
Address a cover letter to the person who will read it, by full name: “Dear Jordan Lee,”. Using the full name means you don’t have to guess whether to write Mr., Ms. or Mx., and it reads as both polite and current. If you can’t find a name, address the team or role instead: “Dear Marketing Hiring Manager,”.
It’s a small thing, and it’s one of the first places a reader sees whether the letter was written for them.
Cover letter greetings, best to worst
| Situation | Greeting | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You know the hiring manager’s name | Dear Jordan Lee, | Personal, and no title to get wrong. |
| You know their name and they use a title | Dear Dr. Lee, | Use a title only when you know they use it. |
| You know the recruiter, not the manager | Dear Sam Rivera, | The recruiter is a real reader too. |
| You know the team, not the person | Dear Brand Marketing Hiring Manager, | Specific to the job without a name. |
| You only know the role | Dear Hiring Manager, | Fine, if a little plain. |
| Several readers or a panel | Dear [Team] Hiring Team, | Covers everyone without listing names. |
| Avoid | To Whom It May Concern, | Sounds like a complaint letter. |
| Avoid | Dear Sir or Madam, | Dated, and assumes the reader’s gender. |
| Avoid | Hey there, / Hi! | Too casual for a first contact. |
How do you address a cover letter without a name?
Address a cover letter without a name by naming the team or role you’re applying to: “Dear Content Marketing Hiring Manager,” or “Dear Growth Team,”. It’s clear who should read it, and it shows you know where the job sits. “Dear Hiring Manager,” is a perfectly acceptable fallback when the posting doesn’t say which team.
Not finding a name is normal, and it doesn’t count against you. Many postings are written to hide it.
How do you find the hiring manager’s name?
You can often find the hiring manager’s name in ten minutes or less. Try these in order:
- Read the whole posting. Some name the manager ("You’ll report to the VP of Marketing") or the recruiter at the bottom.
- Search LinkedIn. Go to the company’s page, open People, and search the team and title the role reports to, such as “head of brand” or “marketing director”.
- Check the company’s website. Team, About or press pages often name marketing leaders.
- Look at who posted the job. On LinkedIn, the person who shared the posting is often the recruiter or the manager.
- Ask someone you know there. A contact can tell you the name, and may offer to pass your application along. Our guide to asking for a referral covers how to ask.
If you find two possible people, address the more senior one in the team the role sits in, or use the team greeting. A wrong name is worse than no name.
Should you use Mr., Ms. or Mx. in a cover letter?
Use the full name without a title unless you know the person’s preferred title. “Dear Jordan Lee,” avoids guessing someone’s gender or marital status. If someone lists a title on their profile or signature, use it: Dr., or Mx., which Merriam-Webster describes as a gender-neutral honorific.
Avoid “Mrs.” unless you know the person uses it; “Ms.” is the neutral choice when you know someone uses a gendered title.
What punctuation comes after the greeting?
A comma after the greeting is standard in US cover letters: “Dear Jordan Lee,”. A colon ("Dear Jordan Lee:") is more formal and also correct. Then start your first paragraph on a new line.
Examples by situation
These show the greeting and the first sentence together, because the two work as a pair. Rewrite the opening sentence in your own words; it should sound like you talking about something you noticed, not like a template.
Dear Jordan Lee, I'm applying for the Senior Brand Manager role on your team. [One specific detail about the company and why it caught your attention.]
Dear Social Media Hiring Manager, I'm applying for the Social Media Manager role at [Company]. [One specific detail about the company's social channels.]
Dear Sam Rivera, Thank you for reaching out about the Product Marketing Manager role at [Company]. [Why the role fits what you want to do next.]
For what comes after the greeting, see how to start a cover letter and the full walkthrough in how to write a cover letter.
How do you address a cover letter sent by email?
In an email, use the same greeting as you would in a letter, with the person’s name or team, and put the role in the subject line: “Application: Marketing Coordinator, [Your name]”. If you’re writing to a recruiter you found on LinkedIn, our guide to messaging a recruiter covers the shorter format.
FAQ
Is “Dear Hiring Manager” OK?
Yes. “Dear Hiring Manager,” is polite and widely used when you can’t find a name. Adding the team, as in “Dear Brand Marketing Hiring Manager,”, makes it a little more specific.
Can you use “To Whom It May Concern” on a cover letter?
You can, but it reads as dated and impersonal. “Dear Hiring Manager,” or a team greeting does the same job and sounds like it was written for this application.
Should you use the hiring manager’s first name only?
Usually not. “Dear Jordan,” can feel too familiar for a first contact. Use the full name, unless you already know the person and use first names with them.
What if you address the cover letter to the wrong person?
If the person is at the company and on a related team, it’s a minor slip and rarely costs you. Avoid it by using the team greeting whenever you aren’t sure.
Do you need the company address on a cover letter?
Only on a formal document letter, and even there it’s optional. In an email, a form or a PDF uploaded to an application portal, you can leave it out.